Talk With a Lisp
Speaking with a basic lisp is as simple as pronouncing your "s" sounds as "th." Depending on the lisp, other consonants like Z and J may also be affected. If you are going to fake a lisp, make sure that you are respectful of people who speak with actual lisps.
If you already have a lisp and you want to overcome it, read How to Pronounce Words Clearly With a Lisp or How to Cope With Having a Lisp.
Contents
[hide]Steps
Practicing a Lisp
- Pronounce S and Z as TH. This is the simplest way to speak with a lisp. Practice consciously replacing the S syllables in your speech. Be aware that a lisp can run a spectrum from serious speech impediment to subtle tongue adjustment. Err on the side of subtlety – don't overdo it.
- Try writing it out for the sake of visualization. Pick a sentence with a lot of S syllables. Then, write out the same sentence with "th" in the place of each "s." Read the sentence aloud until the lisp becomes second nature.
- "Sally sells seashells by the seashore," would become "Thally thellth theathellth by the theathore.
- "I am speaking with a lisp," would become "I am thpeaking with a lithp."
- Be considerate. Remember that a lisp is a legitimate speech disorder. A person who speaks with a natural lisp does not have the option to switch it off. If you imitate a lisp with the intent of poking fun at the speech pattern, you might offend or otherwise disrespect people who speak with lisps.
- Consider also that the lisp is sometimes associated with certain stereotypes and subcultures. This is perhaps most notable in a particular "lisp-y" stereotype of members from the LGBTQ community. Ask yourself whether it is discriminatory to imitate a lisp in this context.
Positioning Your Tongue
- Push your tongue between your teeth. When you properly pronounce the letter S, your tongue lays against the roof of your mouth. To change this S sound to a lisping TH sound, keep your upper and lower teeth slightly parted, then move your tongue down and forward so that the tip just barely sits between them. Now, try saying the word “lisp”: it should come out as “lithp.” This is the classic lisp, known as the interdental lisp.
- Imitate the "dentalized lisp." Press your tongue against the back of your front teeth. This position is somewhere between a true S and the TH sound that characterizes the interdental lisp. This makes the dentalized lisp a slightly less conspicuous version of the interdental lisp.
- Gently press your tongue against the front of your palate. When you do this, air is forced to escape along the sides of your tongue, making the S sound slightly wet. This is known as a lateral lisp. It is perhaps the most exaggerated-sounding of the lisps.
- Try the "palatal lisp." This is the hardest lisp to imitate. It produces a somewhat more grating sound, rather drier than the lateral lisp. Gently press your tongue against the middle/back of your palate.
Tips
- Become aware of your tongue position. Then, practice saying sentences that contain a lot of "s" sounds. Depending on the lisp, other consonants like Z and J might also be affected.
Warnings
- Some people have to take speech therapy for years before they can learn to speak correctly. Others never get over their lisps due to the actual structure of their mouth, teeth, or tongue.
- Be respectful. A lisp is usually considered a speech impediment, and people who speak with a natural lisp may be self-conscious about the way that they talk. Carefully consider your audience before you try faking a lisp in public.
Related Articles
Sources and Citations
- ↑ http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86:lisp
- ↑ http://www.superduperinc.com/handouts/pdf/209_Lisp.pdf
- http://nikkiheyman.co.za/when-is-a-lisp-no-longer-cute/
- http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62:code&catid=11:admin&Itemid=101
